Deer & Deer Hunting Forums: White Tail Deer Hunting Forum

All right everyone get ready and comfortable this will probably get pretty long winded but there should be plenty of pictures.

So my father in-law, Mike, and my friend of about 25 years, Ditch, got up to Pembina ND last Wednesday night and then started hunting Thursday morning. I set up in my tree stand I had built earlier that summer.

Mike, Ditch and I did not see anything on Thursday.

Friday Ditch and I set up in the bean field again and Mike sgot set up next to a railroad bridge on the edge of a sugar beet field. Later that morning we met up with Mike and he had gotten a 4x4 whitetail buck, 8 pointer field dresed weighing in at 140 pounds, at a 183 yards with his 270 WIN. We had also seen 2 does but lost them in all the comotion. The rest of the day Ditch and I sat along the Red River but did not see anything.

Saturday morning I sat up in the same spot and finally saw 2 does at the South of the trees. So I tried to get cloes enough for a shot. They were intitially 700 yards away and during my stalk they went back into the trees. So Mike, Ditch and I pushed those trees and Mike missed a doe that came darting out of the trees and ran North. We looked for blood but we did not see any. Saturday afternoon I decided to move more to the North and I set up on the short side of a 'L' shaped trees and after moving leaves and clearing a shooting lane I sat down and started reading my Tom Clancy book (Mission of Honor) and at 4:30 a buck stepped out of a trail at 174 yards and started walking right towards a portion of a remaining bean field. He was lined up perfectly with my left edge of my shooting lane and I thought once he turns South I got him. Of course he got to about 100 yards and turned North. Then a doe came and stood in front of me at 50 yards broadside but by then I wanted to shoot the buck and I could see him through the weeds and grass but I did not feel comfortable taking that shot so I waited. After 10 minutes of feeding they walked back into the trees and 5 minutes later a doe and fawn came out and walked within 15 feet of where I was sitting but again I was convinced that the buck would come back, he did not and the doe and fawn went to the South.

Sunday Ditch said that he would set up along the South edge of the bean field where I saw the doe and fawn go to. I set up in the same place as the night before hoping to get a shot at the buck or the other doe. I did not but Ditch did catch a buck sneaking into the trees early that morning and shot at the deer. He went to check for blood but did not see anything. Mike and I came over to help push the trees and as I was walking a trail along the Red River bank I looked down and saw a buck laying in the water. So I get back to Ditch and tell him that I think I found his deer but that I was not going to get it and that he would have to get it. As we approached the deer we saw the blood on the grass leading up to the river and knew it was indeed his deer. Needless to say it was some work we got him out of the water. He was a 3x3 with a field dressed weight of 125 pounds. I would not recommend having a deer die in the water and then having to drag him out but it could have been a lot worse.[:D]

Overall it was a very successful hunting trip. Some would say that since I did not get a deer it was not but I got my father in-law his first deer in 30 years and got my friend his biggest buck so far. Plus I had my opportunities I just chose not to take it. Muzzleloader season starts in 12 days, its not over yet.

Dewey

�Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.�